A battalion of nearly 350 firefighters from theEuropean Union will soon be on the ground in Quebec to help their Canadian counterparts tackle a devastating and unprecedented wildfire season.
One hundred and nine firefighters from France arrived last Thursday and spent the weekend dousing flames in Quebec, where fires have forced nearly 14,000 people to flee their homes.
Another 140 reinforcements from Portugal and 97 from Spain are due to arrive in Quebec City on Wednesday, said Claire Kowalewski, the European Union Emergency Response Coordination Centre’s liaison officer in Canada.
It’s the first time in the centre’s 22-year history that it has sent firefighters to help in Canada, Kowalewski said….